Smart Shades Do More Than Block the Sun
What You Don’t See Matters Most When It Comes to Shades
When selecting window treatments, most people start with color and style. Choosing a style of automated shades starts with how you live in the space. Do you want clean, modern lines? Go with rollers. Prefer a softer, tailored look? Roman or woven shades may be the right fit. From sleek to sculptural, the style you choose should reflect both your interior aesthetic and how you want your shades to function—daylight control, privacy, or both. With motorization, you get the beauty of design without the daily adjustment. Our team at Home Technology Experts will help you choose a style that works seamlessly with your décor, your technology, and your lifestyle.
Fabric color affects more than style!
Lighter fabrics reflect more sunlight, making a room feel brighter and helping reduce heat gain. These are often the right fit for sun-facing windows or rooms that feel too dim. Darker fabrics absorb light, reduce glare more effectively, and maintain better visibility to the outdoors, especially during the day. It’s not just about taste—it’s about the experience you want in each room.
But for automated shades, the fabric itself does far more than just complement your interiors. The right fabric shapes how your room feels—how much light comes in, how private the space is, even how comfortable the temperature stays throughout the day. For our clients, especially in homes with large-scale glass, high ceilings, and water views, shade fabric selection is a critical part of the smart home experience.
Since the shade fabric determines how natural light enters the room, determining a fabric type should be a decision made early on. Our top shade brands Lutron and Hunter Douglas have light filtering and blackout fabric options for you to consider.
Light Filtering Shades
Sheer fabrics soften harsh light while still letting you enjoy the view. These are often used in kitchens, living areas, and offices where daytime brightness is a plus.
Blackout Shades
Blackout fabrics are completely opaque and designed to block all light, creating a darkened environment ideal for bedrooms, nurseries, or home theaters. Somewhere in between are translucent fabrics, which offer daytime privacy and diffused light—perfect for spaces where you want softness without full darkness.
Privacy Day & Night!
It isn’t enough to just think about privacy during the day. At night, sheer shades that looked elegant and breezy can become transparent when interior lights are on. For rooms where privacy matters, we often recommend a layered or dual-shade approach—something sheer for the day, paired with blackout for the evening, all controllable with a tap or voice command.
It’s about integration, not just installation
We don’t just install motorized shades—we design them as part of your whole-home system. Your fabric choice needs to complement the lighting scenes, daily routines, and privacy settings built into your home automation. Whether you’re using Lutron, Savant, Control4 or another system, we’ll guide you to the design that fits not only your windows—but your life.
Let’s make it seamless
Choosing shade fabrics shouldn’t feel overwhelming. We’ll coordinate with your interior designer or architect to ensure your shades feel intentional, perform beautifully, and disappear when you want them to. Just the way luxury should be.
Are you ready to get started?
Our team makes the process simple—with expert guidance, designer collaboration, and smart technology built in from the start. Hit that button below and let’s get started!